The murder trial of Edward Timothy Romero, accused of killing and dismembering a Denver teen, was delayed Thursday morning despite a doctor's finding that he was competent to proceed, according to dismissed jurors exiting the courtroom.

Public defender Holly Lucas on Wednesday told the court her client was unresponsive, confused and spent much of jury selection with his head down on the defense table.

Denver District Court Judge Shelley Gilman ordered a jailhouse evaluation to determine whether Romero, 28, is able to understand proceedings and participate in his own defense.

And even though the doctor found Romero competent, the defense has the right to ask for a second opinion — a delay that led Gilman to dismiss jurors and postpone trial.

Oct. 22 is the two year anniversary of 16-year-old Alicia Martinez' death. Her brother and many other family members have attended even minor hearings leading up to the now delayed trial.

Authorities believe Alicia attended a small party in Romero's garage the night of Oct. 22, 2010, and that Romero eventually asked friends to leave him alone with her as the party broke up.

They say he shot the teen, using a couch cushion to muffle the sound of the gunshots and then, over two days, dismembered her body to conceal the crime.

Romero has pleaded both not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, and testimony in a related trial revealed he suffers from a type of bipolar disorder. Lucas also asked potential jurors during jury selection Wednesday whether they had heard of multiple personality disorder and whether it was a diagnosis they considered valid.

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Last year two doctors — one court appointed and one from the state mental hospital — found that Romero was capable of distinguishing right from wrong during the crime, a test of sanity.

At least one of those doctors also found Romero competent to stand trial, according to court records.

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